University of Michigan expands medical facilities

Patients being treated for diabetes and those with psychiatric needs will benefit from two major facility improvements - costing a total of $7.7 million - approved by University of Michigan Board of Regents on Thursday.

The U-M Hospitals and Health Centers plans to spend $3.2 million to improve and expand the 22-bed inpatient psychiatric unit at University Hospital. The unit will be renovated into a mix of private and semi-private beds, and it will be given the capacity to add three more beds.

The unit will be able turn up to four rooms at a time into a secure intensive care area for the most severely ill psychiatric patients. They will be hospitalized separately, so they can receive care from a dedicated team of practitioners.

Counting resources available elsewhere, the number of psychiatric beds in the region has shrunk, U-M officials say.

"This project represents a major commitment on the part of the U-M Health System to caring for the mental health needs of our community," said Dr. Gregory Dalack, interim chairman of the department of psychiatry, in a written statement.

Included in the project is the addition of a library and computer stations for patients to use, making the unit's appearance more welcoming by removing barriers; enhancing laundry, dining and activity rooms; and adding informal gathering areas for patients and visitors.

The treatment of psychiatric patients also is changing. Psychiatrists will be able to spend more time focusing on the needs of patients with specific types of disorders.
For the second project, regents approved spending $4.5 million to renovate leased space at Domino's Farms in northeast Ann Arbor in order to relocate and expand outpatient diabetes services, and most other adult endocrinology services.

The facility will have 23 outpatient rooms, specialized endocrine testing services, and space for diabetes patients to receive foot care and eye screening exams. Potentially crippling foot and leg problems and retinal disease are major complications that affect most adults with diabetes.

The number of adults living with diabetes in the country has more than doubled in the last 25 years, and is projected to grow as overweight children face a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, U-M says.

"By bringing nearly all of our resources to a single, much larger place, we'll be able to offer better care, and accommodate the growing need for our expertise that we know will only increase with time," said Dr. Craig Jaffe, medical director of the Adult Endocrinology Clinic.